


Found Family

by tomanonuniverse



Series: Geralt Fluff Week 2020 [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Geralt Fluff Week (The Witcher), Geralt Fluff Week 2020, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Good Parent Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Parent Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Protective Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Single Parent Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25797883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomanonuniverse/pseuds/tomanonuniverse
Summary: Geralt Fluff Week 2020 Day Three: FamilyIt’s a little funny, he thinks. Even after admitting to her he hadn’t wanted anything to do with her, she shrugged and told him that him protecting her now was enough for her, and he found all his defenses crumbled to dust by the time their journey had hit a two month mark. He would do anything for her now, and she for him.That’s why when he hears her heart stutter suddenly as they maneuver quietly through yet another town, his hand automatically flies to the hilt of his blade and he gives her a curious look. But she doesn’t look at him, so he turns his head to follow her gaze and furrows his brows at the sight of a small boy with a ridiculous hat on his head.
Relationships: Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Dara, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Dara
Series: Geralt Fluff Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869967
Comments: 6
Kudos: 94





	Found Family

**Author's Note:**

> Dara doesn't get enough love and Geralt just saw another lonely scared kid and went "yeah ok ill take him too why not"

Traveling with Cirilla is by far the most challenging thing Geralt has ever had to go through. Trial of the Grasses who? Try trudging through dangerous forests on the run from an entire maniacal kingdom. Every corner they turn could be something terrible and he can constantly smell the sour scent of fear wafting from the girl.

Well. Not always. Sometimes, when they camp in the night, nothing but the stars above and the crackling of the flames accompanying them, Cirilla calms. But only if Geralt relents to her puppy dog eyes and huddles her into his side. Only then does the frightened odor completely dissipate into nothing, and it warms Geralt’s slow-beating heart too much for him to admit.

He truly didn’t think he would get attached to her. At first, he tried to tell himself that she was nothing more than his ward. He was to escort her to Kaer Morhen and keep her safe until things could be sorted out enough so that she would have somewhere else to stay. That didn’t last long. Not when she clung to him and smiled the way she did.

It’s a little funny, he thinks. Even after admitting to her he hadn’t wanted anything to do with her, she shrugged and told him that him protecting her now was enough for her, and he found all his defenses crumbled to dust by the time their journey had hit a two month mark. He would do anything for her now, and she for him.

That’s why when he hears her heart stutter suddenly as they maneuver quietly through yet another town, his hand automatically flies to the hilt of his blade and he gives her a curious look. But she doesn’t look at him, so he turns his head to follow her gaze and furrows his brows at the sight of a small boy with a ridiculous hat on his head.

_ “Dara,”  _ Ciri whimpers, and the boy’s gaze sharpens for a moment. Geralt raises a confused brow and opens his mouth to ask, but he doesn’t get the chance.

An extremely furious merchant suddenly stomps right up to the boy and grabs him by his thin cloak, waving him around angrily as he speaks. “You! You thieving little shit!” He hisses, to which the boy gasps in surprise and immediately reaches up to keep his hat secure on his head. “I counted my fruit after you left ‘because I  _ knew  _ something wasn’t right! You  _ stole  _ from me!”

Cirilla gives her guardian a desperate glance, urging him to do something. Geralt maintains eye contact, a silent question in his gaze. Once she nods, the witcher exhales in defeat and approaches the scene carefully. “I’ll take it from here,” the White Wolf tells the merchant, extending a hand as if waiting for the man to hand him the child like he was an object rather than a person.

The merchant suddenly grins wickedly and all too happily shoves the kid to Geralt, who tries not to grimace when the boy stumbles and falls at the witcher’s feet. “This ought to teach him,” the man spits harshly, though he still smiled maliciously. “Bet you don’t know what witchers do to little boys like you, huh, thief? You’ll find out.”

Geralt inhales sharply at the implication but says nothing, watching the man walk away. He looks down to find the boy still on his hands and knees, looking up at Geralt with terrified eyes. Cirilla joins them then, quickly helping the boy up then ushering him forward despite his resistance and flinching at her touch.

Night finally sets when they’re a good safe few meters away from the town. Ciri asks him to go hunt for them alone instead of taking her with him as he usually does and despite his initial protests, he agrees upon realizing that she was asking him for time alone with the strange boy they had saved. 

He returns with a rabbit and two squirrels, trying to be as quiet as he could to not disturb their conversation. As such, it was admittedly much more difficult not to eavesdrop on it.

“I’m sorry about what I said,” the boy, Dara, murmurs quietly to Cirilla, hanging his head in what almost looks like shame. “I… I was angry and scared. And it was really cruel of me. The things I blamed you for weren’t your fault. The Nilfgaardians would have attacked refugee camps even if you weren’t there. And you’re… not like your grandmother.”

Ciri hums and Geralt’s lips twitch, because he definitely knew where she got  _ that  _ from. “It’s okay,” she tells him after some thoughtful silence. He gives her an incredulous look, but Cirilla only responds with that kind smile that made Geralt’s heart surge in his chest and he knew the boy was doomed to accept her forgiveness regardless.

They’re silent again, but Geralt pretends to fiddle with his potions a little longer, giving them their space and their chance to reconcile. Dara suddenly turns to Cirilla with a pinched and broken expression. “Can we be family again?” He asks in a hushed whisper, like he didn’t want the witcher to hear, which admittedly made him feel slightly guilty.

The ex-princess hums again, before suddenly swiping the boy’s hat off his head and placing it on her own. “Of course, silly,” she reassures him. For a moment, Geralt smells  _ panic  _ coming off of Dara as he urgently reaches for his hat, trying to cover his pointed ears. But Cirilla shakes her head and says: “That’s Geralt, my destiny. I found him. He’s family too. Don’t be afraid.”

Geralt’s lips part in shock and his head whips up to look at Ciri, unable to maintain the facade of not listening anymore. He’s surprised to see her already smiling up at him, one hand outstretched and motioning for him to join the two children where they sat. In hindsight, he shouldn’t be surprised, really. The girl was starting to take after him.

He purses his lips slightly and huffs through his nose but gets to his feet and walks to them anyway. He takes a seat where Ciri guides him to, right between the two of them. She naturally cuddles herself into Geralt’s side, then leans slightly and motions for Dara to do the same, giving him an expectant look.

Geralt turns to Dara, whose eyes are significantly less terrified than earlier that day but still very much wary. They stare at one another for a moment, then Geralt lifts his arm up, a silent invite. He watches Dara’s shoulders drop from where they were hiked to his ears and it’s the only warning he gets before the boy crashes into his side, trembling slightly.

The witcher hums gently, pulling the two children to himself protectively. He hadn’t thought it would be so easy to welcome the other but seeing how much he meant to Ciri was the only incentive he needed. Now, all he had to do was focus on keeping one more soul safe on their road to Kaer Morhen.

Which wouldn’t be hard, now that he was part of their little family, too.


End file.
